Gator Crossing, Mistaken For Meth, Home Alone: Weird Florida

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The following are some of the more unusual, wacky, wonderful or just plain weird stories that have had folks talking over the past few weeks:

Alligator Snarls Traffic On Florida Expressway

Pedestrians may not belong on Tampa’s Veterans Expressway, but that fact didn’t stop one from snarling morning rush hour traffic Wednesday. This particular interloper was a 9-foot gator who strolled onto southbound lanes near the Hutchison Road exit in the Carrollwood area around 6:30 a.m.

Krispy Kreme Glaze Mistaken For Meth: Man Arrested Sues Orlando

The Orlando man arrested on drug possession charges in 2015 when a police officer mistook a flake of Krispy Kreme doughnut glaze for methamphetamine vowed following his incarceration to sue. The 65-year-old has kept good on that promise and now has a case moving through the Orange County Court system.

Toothache Drove Man To Leave Kids Home Alone: Sheriff

A 36-year-old New Port Richey man who went to the hospital Tuesday morning to get a toothache checked out found himself behind bars instead. The man is accused of leaving two small children home alone in the early morning hours so he could seek medical care.

Singer Chris Brown Accused Of ‘Sucker' Punching Photographer

Singer Chris Brown is under investigation following an alleged battery at Tampa’s Aja Channelside early Monday morning. The crooner is accused of “sucker” punching a photographer, leaving his lip cut.

Man Passed Out, Needle In Hand, In Store Bathroom

A 29-year-old Sarasota man’s alleged decision to do cocaine in a convenience store bathroom Friday morning ended with a trip to jail. According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the man was found by deputies passed out in a bathroom stall with a needle still in his hand.

Man Shot Over Suspicions Of Cheating: Sheriff

A 26-year-old St. Petersburg woman faces criminal charges after Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies say a Monday morning domestic dispute took a violent turn. Authorities say Erika Alisha Harvey shot her live-in boyfriend during an argument about suspected infidelity.

Fake Cop Followed Woman Home: Deputies

A 55-year-old Bradenton man faces criminal charges after Sarasota County deputies say he followed a spa owner home over the weekend and then proceeded to rob her. The man is also accused of passing himself off as a police officer while visiting the woman’s Sarasota spa on previous occasions and during the alleged attack.

Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol